We all face dizziness in our life at some point. when we are not eating properly or taking a lot of stress can also result in dizziness. Those types of vertigo are fleeting and can be easily managed at home. But other serious forms of vertigo become continuous and start affecting our day-to-day life. So, if you also feel serious dizziness then it is best to visit a dizziness specialist.
Dizziness or vertigo is a condition in which a patient sees the rotation of motionless objects, it describes the different ranges of sensation such as unsteadiness, feeling faint, weak, and lightheaded. It can create false sensational feelings in which a person always feels spinning in his surroundings.
Patients who have continuous episodes of vertigo need a dizziness specialist.
Causes of dizziness
There are multiple causes of dizziness. It can cause nutrients to the environment to previous medical conditions. Some of the most common causes of vertigo are-
1. Certain disorders in the inner ear can cause dizziness in an individual. The inner ear is responsible for maintaining balance by sending impulses to the brain about body movements, neck, and head. The most usual inner ear disorder of the inner causes vertigo are-
- Meniere’s disease- is an inner ear disorder that can be resulted in an autoimmune disorder, when the body’s immune system will by mistake attack its cells. In such a type of disease, fluid gets accumulated in the inner part of the ear which can increase pressure on the ear. Usually, patients with vertigo are found to be suffering from tinnitus, hearing problems, sometimes loss of hearing, and a feeling of fullness in the ear, which is also known as aural fullness.
- Patients with dizziness are found to be suffering from trauma. If a patient suffers from trauma to skull fracture or ears, it can lead to disorder in the inner ear. It can cause damage to their inner ear.
- Labyrinthitis can result in inner ear disorder. Inflammation in the inner ear of labyrinths can also be the cause of serious disorders which can result in dizziness. In addition to vertigo, it can also cause a cold or bacterial infection.
- Motion sickness- dizziness can also be triggered during traveling which can cause motion sickness. These sicknesses are commonly associated with vomiting and nausea.
- BPPV- when small calcium particles get filled into canals on the inner ear. BPPV has no common cause, it can also be triggered by trauma.
2. Mediators can also be the cause of inner ear disorder hence, resulting in dizziness. Parkinsonism, Seizures, tumor or lesions in the brain, Stroke, hypoglycemia, anemia, heart disease, anxiety, dehydration, intoxicated with alcohol, a trauma in the neck or head, starvation, Infection and inflammation of the brain, cervical spinal disorders like cervical spondylosis and multiple sclerosis, if a person suffering from these issues and taking regular medications for these can also face dizziness.
3. Deficiency of b12 can also be the reason for sudden dizziness in patients. vitamin b12 deficiency can be easily seen in people even when they are on a good diet.
4. Migraine and headaches can also be the major causes of vertigo. A person with severe headaches is prone to multiple diseases including dizziness.
5. Depression is also the main reason behind dizziness. It is often found that a person with depression is sometimes found to have vertigo.
How do we know that we need to visit a dizziness specialist?
More than 20% of people face dizziness, so a bout of sudden dizziness is not something you need to worry about. However, if you are a healthy person who faces continued episodes of vertigo then you need to go to a dizziness specialist.
If you face any of the below-mentioned symptoms, you need urgent medical attention.
- Continuous vomiting every day
- Dropping of the mouth or eyes
- Multiple times unconscious
- Pain in chest
- Loss of the ability to produce heat in their body
- High-grade fever for many days
- Vision blurred
- Difficulty in slurred speech or while speaking
- Projectile vomiting
- Tingling or numbness
- Nausea
- Difficulty in walking for too long, sometimes it is difficult to even stand
- Headache
- Sometimes a person can sweat severely
- Feeling of imbalance
- Lightheadedness
- Can feel a false sense of swaying
- Palpitation
- Faint feeling every day
Testsdone by a dizziness specialist
If you are facing symptoms of dizziness, then your dizziness specialist will perform some tests on you to confirm whether you are facing any serious vertigo or not. A neurologist will likely perform multiple tests to know the exact cause of dizziness.
1. Posturography
In posturography tests, your balance is tested using a machine that can collect information such as how you use your inner ear to maintain balance, sensation, and vision. This test is helpful in the rehabilitation process and also checks the effectiveness of certain treatments.
2. VNG or videonystagmography
A videonystagmography test is also used to check for vertigo in individuals. It can also check for nystagmus, which can cause serious problems in organs that help maintain balance in the body. In this test, a dizziness specialist will ask you to wear goggles and look into still objects. There is a video camera in these goggles which can record and analyze your eye movements.
3. ENG or electronystagmography
This test is somehow similar to VNG but in place of Goggle around the ears, electrodes are used around the ears to test for vertigo.
4. Eye Movement Test
This type of test is also helpful in testing for vertigo. The Eye movement test watches the eye path when someone will track an object in moving directions. It can also be done when a doctor will keep either water or air in your ear canal.
5. MRI
An MRI is also done to test for dizziness. Your doctor will perform an MRI on you if you have suffered from a recent head injury or if your specialties will suspect acoustic neuroma or any tumor in your brain.
